Sunday Style InSite Feb. 4, 2001

Sunday Style In-Sites Feb. 4, 2001

BBC Radio 1: The BBC, which operates what's probably the most up-to-the-hour world news site, again shows the way for quality Web radio entertainment with this portal. The 'Alternative', 'Urban' and 'Dance' channels here offer shrewdly-compiled pop/rock playlists, and the DJs keep their chatter short and pointed, unlike the self-promoting poseurs on our radio who just keep pattering on like they're talking to their pets. You can also get the latest entertainment news and charts, and tune in to live interviews. The audio quality is pretty good but sometimes making a connection and maintaining it can be problem. A slow connection can also ruin your efforts to see what's happening in the studio through a Webcam. The site features an alluring and slick design that should stimulate those looking for ideas on effective Web presentation.

Bibliofind: Book lovers and collectors hunting down first editions, second-hand tomes, out-of-print publications and independently published new books should start their online search at this excellent portal. It claims to list "more than 20 million used and rare books, periodicals and ephemera offered for sale by thousands of booksellers around the world", The search box includes fields for 'Author', 'Title', 'Any other words', 'Prices between', 'Books added', 'First Editions' and 'Signed/Inscribed'. You can also post a personal list of hard-to-find titles and register to be alerted when they're available. The link to the 'Community' section opens up interaction with other bibliophiles, and if you have a book to sell, you can do so online as well. The main page is rather basic but it offers free admission to an extensive database.

Cloud Forest Alive: 'Where's my broadband?' That's probably how'd feel at this engaging nature site that offers you the chance of enjoying a great audio-visual feast. You can see fruit bats feeding, hummingbirds in action and various other live Webcam images of wildlife in the Cloud Forests of Central America. If you're still using a PC from the Bronze Age of the cyberworld (before 1995), it'll probably get glitchy on you when you're trying to access the Webcam images. But otherwise, you should have no problem downloading the text and some of the first-rate photos. The home page is neatly divided into sections like 'Live Cloud Forest eTours', 'Cloud Forest Laboratory' and 'Cloud Forest Library', and there're some splendid close-up shots of insects. Definitely a must-visit site for the environmentally enlightened.

Cybercinema: You'd probably need a fast connection for a smooth journey through this interactive site devoted to the history of computers and artificial intelligence in film. The subject may seem like a trivial pursuit, but when you consider the indispensable role that computers play in our lives these days, you'll appreciate this effort to trace how artificial intelligence has been portrayed -- it's sometimes a case of life imitating art -- on the big screen through the years. There're links to pages documenting the topic in 'Early Cinema' and movies from the 1950s to the 1990s. And such sections as 'Intelligence', 'Fear', 'God', 'Love' and 'Self' discuss some important ethical issues that concern man's ever-increasing dependence on machines. There's plenty to see and hear in the visual and sound galleries, and a 'Filmography' lists all the major films dealing with the topic. The frame on the left of the home page is redundant but it doesn't affect loading.

Frontline: The Gulf War: The 10th anniversary of the Gulf War -- a battle that played out like a live mini-series on TV, thanks largely to CNN -- just passed, and this site, inspired by the PBS TV series, takes a close look at what happened on the battlefield and presents the stories of the men who fought in the 39-day campaign. There are plenty of conflicting opinions in 'An Oral History', which features interviews with the 'Decision Makers', 'Commanders', 'Iraqis' and 'Analysts, while 'War Stories' offers first-hand accounts (with audioclips) of the exploits and experiences of soldiers and pilots. 'Voices in the Storm', a BBC radio series, examines how the war affected those directly involve in it. You'll find the links to 'Maps', 'Weapons & Technology' and 'Tapes & Transcripts' highly useful if you're doing you own research into the war. The compact layout presents the contents effectively.

Guinness World Records: Now that record-setting has become a national obsession, most Malaysian Internet users would probably have bookmarked this Guinness World Records site. If you've not been there yet, you're missing out on a lot of fascinating facts which at one time you could only get from a book which was often outdated by the time you bought it. It's a colorful and captivating site that should serve as a model of Web design brilliance. Top stories are updated daily -- record-breaking feats ranging from the awesome to the downright bizarre are described in lively prose. And if you've looking for something specific and don't have the time to browse through the listings in such sections as 'Arts & Entertainment', 'Big & Small Things', 'Sports', 'Human Achievements' and 'Living World, you can go straight to the 'Record Search' box.